The Razr2 series comes in several different color options, with the Verizon V9m being a shiny dark pearl gray with a brown inlay accent around the external display. This makes for the phone’s good looks, but it comes at a cost of the myriad of fingerprints that will envelope the exterior. The V9m remains a flip-phone, just like the previous Razr models, but is the thinnest one to date, measuring only 0.46” thick. This translates into a device that is almost unnoticeable while in your pants pocket, yet when holding the phone, you feel its solid metal construction since the weight is up to 4.13 oz.

Model

Dimension (Inches)

Dimension (mm)

Weight (oz)

Weight (Gramms)

Motorola RAZR2 V9m

4.06" x 2.09" x 0.46"

103 x 53 x 11.9

4.13

117

Motorola Maxx Ve

3.99" x 2.08" x 0.59"

101.4 x 53 x 15

3.88

110

Motorola KRZR K1m

4.05" x 1.73" x 0.66"

103 x 44 x 17

3.60

102

Motorola RAZR V3m

3.90" x 2.10" x 0.60"

98 x 53 x 14.5

3.49

99

Motorola V9m (right and up) next to Motorola Maxx Ve (left and bottom)

Located at the top of the flip is a basic 2MP Camera, which is lacking an AutoFocus and a Flash that the Maxx Ve had. On either side of it are hidden LED indicator lights for Charging and Bluetooth. The left side of the phone is where the Volume Up/Down rocker and Smart Button is located, with the right side featuring the Voice Command button. We found them to be more recessed than we would have liked, making volume adjustments by touch-alone nearly impossible. The Data/Charger port now uses a smaller MicroUSB connector, which is a first for a Verizon phone. The packaging does not come with a PC Data Cable, so you will have to buy a new MicroUSB cable, or a Mini-to-MicroUSB adapter to use with your current USB cables.

2MP Camera lens

Left side

Right side

The 2” 65K Color QVGA External Display is the largest currently used on any flip phone that Verizon sells. You can assign a wallpaper to be shown, separate from the internal display’s wallpaper, unlike the Sprint V9m. Images on the external screen are crisp with good color and detail, yet the external display is not as bright as the internal display with the brightness to level 6. Both screens show the same status icons for Signal Strength, Battery, Bluetooth, Messaging Alerts, as well as Date and Time. Pressing the Smart Button with the flip closed will activate the three Touch Sensitive controls on the bottom of the front screen, with each one providing a different function (Camera, Music, and Voice Commands). Pressing your finger to them will cause the phone to slightly vibrate when activating the designated feature. While we like the idea of the touch-sensitive buttons, we are perplexed as to why Verizon removed the ability of viewing Text Messages on the external display, as Motorola intended, and replaced it with a Voice Command touch button. Especially since there is already a designated Voice Command button on the right side of the phone. Because of this, there are now two Voice Command buttons to choose from, which is a waist, and no ability of external text message viewing.

The Internal Display is the same QVGA resolution, but is slightly larger at 2.2” in diameter. Due to brightness being greater on it, images and text are easier to see whilst viewing outside in direct sunlight. Overall, we are pleased with the quality of both displays, and hope that other manufactures will follow Motorola’s lead with having a larger external display.

The keypad on the V9m is laid out identical to the one used on the Krzr and Maxx Ve. There is nothing new here, with a standard 5-way navigational D-pad, left and right soft keys, designated camera key, and numeric dialing pad. It is constructed out of metal and has a shiny black finish, which matches well with the overall style of the phone, yet the white backlighting is not as bright as the blue backlight used on the Maxx Ve. We also noticed that the raised lettering on the V9m does not provide as much tactile feel as the keypad lettering on the Maxx Ve. Because of this, trying to dial a phone number or TXTing by touch alone is almost impossible. Pressing the buttons on the keypad do provide a good “click” that one would expect. The keypad is an overall good design, but we found it not to be as user-friendly as the one incorporated into the Maxx Ve.

When the flip is closed, we noticed that there is some wiggle-room and can be moved slightly from side to side. The stainless steel and glass make for a solid, though heavy feel. The back of the device is coated in the soft-touch paint found on several models, including the Maxx Ve and the Q9m. The battery door does not have a mechanical latch, but instead slides on and off for a more seamless look. Unfortunately the MicroSD slot is found under the battery door, and inserting and removing the card means the battery has to be pulled and the phone turned off.

3 Comments

Display mode:

1.Brian (unregistered)

which hightech junkie would want this? There's nothing high-tech about it, quite the opposite actually!
Good review though! Reinforces my opinion that the V9 is not a phone for me! Thanks Phonearena! :D

yah, you are proly one of those people who went out and bought and iphone for $600. The Razr 2 has 3G, MMS, a music player that supports many formats, a micro SD card slot, crystal talk, an external touch screen, excellent design quality, aGPS, WAP 2.0, bluetooth 2.0. I mean, what more could u possibly want? The phone is stacked, and for $150 on verizon right now, it is a steal! I would like to see what you object about this phone so much, and it is the V9m, not the V9..

2.Brock (unregistered)

This is the kind of review I was looking for before I bought mine in September of 07. I lucked out and I went ahread and bought it, and I am very pleased. Of course, mine is flashed with native Motorola firmware and I must say this fully debunks the comment above mine, it was just a case of Verizon crippling.

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